In the world of the Harwood Spellbook, 19th-century Angland is ruled by a powerful group of women known as the Boudiccate – but in order to become a member of that elite group, any ambitious young politician must satisfy tradition by taking a gentleman mage for her husband.

Amy Standish is a born politician…but Jonathan Harwood is her greatest temptation. On the night of the Harwoods’ Spring Solstice Ball, in an underwater ballroom full of sparkling fey lights and danger, Amy will have to fight the greatest political battle of her life to win a family and a future that she could never have imagined.

It will take an entirely unexpected kind of magic to keep everything from crashing down around her.

Warning: this novella contains forbidden romance, dangerous magic, and political intrigue in an underwater ballroom. What could possibly go wrong?

Published first in the anthology The Underwater Ballroom Society on April 30th, 2018.

Labyrinth of Shadows: A Greek Mythology Retelling (Queens of Fate and Fury)

by Kyla Stone

Genre: YA/Mythology/Fantasy/Historical

FREE at time of posting! Kindle Unlimited! (Verify price before purchasing!)

A brave hero. A cursed princess. They need each other to survive, but only one can live…
They call me the cursed princess. Daughter of a tyrant king. Sister to the monster.

For seven years, I’ve watched helplessly as my brother–the crazed, bloodthirsty Minotaur–hunts and devours the human tributes sacrificed to the Labyrinth.

When the queen begs me for help, I seize the chance to change my fate–to finally break the curse, rescue my brother, and transform him into his human form. But I must enter the perilous maze myself.

I’ll need the help of the tributes to survive, especially brave, heroic Theseus. Determined to free his people from the terrible blood tithe, Theseus vows to slay the monster, no matter what.

But I won’t let that happen.

And I can’t let myself fall for Theseus’s charms either. Because we can’t both win. My quest may cost me everything, including my heart…

To save my brother, Theseus must die.

And I Darken meets Everneath in this haunting historical fantasy adventure based on Greek mythology. Perfect for fans of myths and legends, alternative histories, conflicted characters, and strong female heroines.

*Rated PG-13 for moderate, non-gory violence. No language and no steamy scenes.*

As the new editor-in-chief for LA Chronicle, Traci Johnson is determined to change the California paper’s narrative. She’s tired of stories about police brutality, gang violence and drugs, and wants to focus on positive African-American stories. But when rapper Tupac Shakur gets shot it’s breaking news that must be covered, even though the incident epitomizes the type of topic she’s trying to avoid, and the type of man she despises.

Marcus Moore is a product of South Central Los Angeles. He could have easily been one of its statistics but he stays out of trouble and becomes an undercover agent for the LAPD. When Tupac gets shot he knows it’s not random. In fact he believes the trail of blood will lead back to a group of men he’s investigating, the reason he’s in Vegas. Meeting sexy journalist Traci Johnson is a tempting distraction, but her assumptions based on his appearance and the culture he embraces are a huge turn-off.

Tupac dies, and Marcus surprisingly finds comfort in Traci’s arms. Will what happens in Vegas stay in Vegas, or can the two get past stark societal differences and turn one night’s passion into a lifetime of love?

To fight for her future, she must first discover the magic of her past

Once great and powerful sorcerers, the Amasiti were hunted to the brink of extinction by the Hir and his followers. For four hundred years, their legacy faded from memory waiting for the hope of Aferi to be renewed…

In the Land of Yet

At the edge of the Forbidden Forest

A young woman lives alone.

Forced to fend for herself after the brutal murder of her family, Ameenah Yemini has made a life for herself as a master tanner and farmer, only venturing into the world to earn her living then return to the safety and seclusion of her home.

Until a chance encounter brings her work to the attention of the powerful Hir

And her careful life begins to unravel.

Drawn to the hidden magic that lingers in everything she touches, the new Hir insists on having her for himself, using the people around her to force Ameenah into his grasp.

When she realizes that her greatest enemy may hold the key to a secret she thought lost to her forever, Ameenah is determined to reclaim her stolen past. But, at what cost? As an ancient power waits to be unleashed, Ameenah’s choices will make the difference between awakening a new magic or delivering it into the hands of evil.

One family torn apart by secrets and betrayals. Perfect for fans of Sue Fortin.

Over twenty years ago, Kate’s dream came true. After years of struggling, she was finally pregnant after pioneering IVF. But the dream came at a cost. Neither Kate nor her husband, Dan, could have known the price that they would have to pay to fulfil their cherished wish of having their own family.

Now, years later, their daughter Natalie is getting married and she’s fulfilling her own dream of marrying her childhood sweetheart. Natalie knows she won’t be like most brides in her wheelchair, but it’s the fact her father won’t be there to walk her down the aisle that breaks her heart.

Her siblings, Ollie, Beth and Jenny, gather around Natalie, but it isn’t just their father who is missing from their lives… as the secrets that have fractured the family rise to the surface, can they learn to forgive each other before it’s too late?

Author Elizabeth Davies stopped by Nesie’s Place to chat about her book birthday, what her hubby thinks of her favorite drink of choice, and share a suspenseful excerpt! (This paranormal excerpt contains graphic content during spell-casting and may not be appropriate for all blog visitors.)

Hello, Elizabeth and welcome! Thanks for stopping in today!

Thanks for having me!

First question – what’s your favorite genre to read?

Paranormal romance and historical, and if the two are combined in one, I’m in seventh heaven!

Do you venture into other genres other than your preferred?

I read quite a wide range, depending on my mood and have been known to read crime and thrillers, and I quite enjoy a fantasy now and again, too.

Favorite beverage to read with?

Tea. Lots of weak tea with sugar. My husband thinks I’m a disgrace.

LOL! I get the same from my mister about my strong coffee!

Pantser or Plotter?

Pantser all the way. I’ve tried plotting, but it simply doesn’t work for me. I find that I can’t stick to a plan when my characters want to do something else entirely.

Are you self-published, traditional, or hybrid?

I’m self-published – I enjoy the control, and I’m too impatient to wait for a publisher’s schedule.

How long have you been a writer?

I think I must have been a writer all my life, at heart. I’ve certainly always had ideas and premises running through my head. But it wasn’t until I was in my forties that I actually did something about it, and knuckled down to produce a novel

How long did it take you to write your first book?

The first book I published took about eight months. The first book I actually wrote (I’ve buried it deep in the depths of my computer) took about a year and a half.

What’s your favorite genre to write or do you only write in one genre?

I write paranormal romance, but I think my stories fit into a couple of genres – historical, romance, supernatural, fantasy. I don’t think they can make their minds up.

Do you have any advice for new authors?

Learn as much as you can about your craft as fast as you can. And whatever you do, always make time to write.

Where do you get the most writing done?

At the dining room table, usually, although I have been known to write anywhere and everywhere the mood takes me.

Totally addicted to social media or could you live without it??

If it wasn’t for being an author, then I could live without it. But, it’s part of a writer’s toolkit when it comes to marketing and advertising, so I guess I’m stuck with it. Besides, I’ve met such wonderful people that it would be a shame to miss out on that.

Today is the first book birthday for Three Bloody Pieces?

Yes, It’s book 1 in the Caitlyn Trilogy! It’s Paranormal Romance, although the romance bit doesn’t really emerge until the final book. I suppose it could also be described as magical realism, fantasy and historical. Books 2 and 3 will be out in October and November 2018.

Please share an excerpt with us!

Introduction – Caitlyn keeps experiencing strange visions. In this one Herleva, the witch, is preparing to cast the spell which will bind Caitlyn to her, and turn her into a cat, the witch’s familiar.

The chanting grew louder, monotonous, drowning out the dying gasp of the storm. The older woman’s lips moved and I tried to fathom the words. She sang in a language I’d never heard before, and it raised goose-bumps on my arms. A chill traveled up my neck. I wanted to run, to fight my way free of the nightmare, but self-preservation kept me still. The old woman had no idea I was there and I had no intention of alerting her to my presence, no urge to feel her crushing, soul-stripping stare. I sent a silent prayer to any god who might be listening, to wake me from this hellish sleep.

She reached deeper into the stomach cavity using swift sure strokes of a knife, with the ease of a butcher, slicing and pulling, until her prize came free with a reluctant sucking squelch. She held the young woman’s heart close to her face, turning it this way and that. Whatever she saw seemed to satisfy her. She gave a nod and placed it on a nearby table, where knives and assorted instruments lay, for purposes I didn’t care to guess.

Folded cerecloth, stiff and yellowed from its coating of beeswax, sat next to the instruments. A bundle of grey fur lay to one side. Bowls of dried and aromatic herbs were lined neatly in a row on a shelf above. I recognised some, like the white yarrow flowers which were good for staunching blood, but not all. Too late for any of them to halt the blood loss here, surely, though my mother did once tell me that in the wrong hands, yarrow was used for divination. I also noticed monkswood, with its purple, curled petals, beautiful and deadly; often called wolfsbane and used to poison arrow tips, it was shot at wolves to prevent men from transforming into werewolves.

The woman moved to the fire, wrapped a cloth around her hand and lifted the bubbling pot off its stand. As she poured the liquid into a jug, the smell of thyme filled the air with its distinctive scent, strong and pungent. I caught a whiff of other aromas: rosemary, lavender, cloves.

She rinsed out the corpse’s body cavity with the scalding liquid, wincing at the heat on her hands, and I finally understood what she was doing. She was embalming it. The infusion was one my mother often made, to use as a disinfectant. This woman must be an embalmer, though why I should dream of such a thing mystified me, especially since it was an unusual job for a woman.

I moved closer, an involuntary movement, a glide rather than a step.

And wished I’d stayed put, as I saw what she now had in her hands.

What I’d assumed was a piece of fur on the table, was the body of a grey cat, sticky with blood. She turned it over. Its insides were gone, its face a rictus of fear and snarling teeth. This cat had not had an easy death.

She took a little knife, wicked and sharp, and inserted it into the creature’s belly cavity. More sucking noises, then the cat’s heart was in her hands, pathetically small. She placed it next to the woman’s heart. Using her knife, she made a hole in the larger organ and stuffed the smaller one inside. The needle was already threaded with catgut, and she stitched it up with quick stabs.

When she put the bloodied mess back in the cat’s body, I almost cried out. The woman’s heart and the rest of her innards should be buried alongside her as was the custom, not stuck inside a cat. But when she picked up the animal and inserted it into the yawning belly cavity of the poor young woman on the table, I couldn’t help but let out a cry of disgust.

She froze, her murmured chanting ceased, and she hunted the room, peering into every corner and crevice, a frown on her face. Her gaze halted when she found me, and the frown transformed into a smile.

Ah, it’s you, my pretty.

I screamed.

~~~

WHOA!!! What an excerpt! Pretty sure I’ll have to read this one with the lights ON!

Many thanks to Elizabeth for stopping by today. Check out her links, don’t forget to enter her amazing giveaway which is open INTERNATIONALLY, then head over to your favorite retailer and grab a copy of Three Bloody Pieces for only 99¢!

~~~

A dead king, a queen who is more than she seems, and a witch who uses the dark arts to entrap her.

Queen, widow, beggar – Lady Caitlyn is all three, and now she can add murderer to the list.

When death and treachery propel her south to Normandy, to seek sanctuary with the exiled Prince Alfred, visions of a woman with ancient eyes travel with her.

Herleva is a woman filled with ambition and greed. A woman who intends to be more than a commoner. A woman who gets what she wants by whatever means possible, even if she has to practice the dark arts to achieve her goals.

A woman who is a witch.

Caitlyn finds herself caught up in a magic which changes her very being. A magic which produces a king to change the lives of every man, woman, and child in England.

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Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, this novel about a resilient and courageous woman has become a Broadway show and a cultural phenomenon.

A PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick

Celie has grown up poor in rural Georgia, despised by the society around her and abused by her own family. She strives to protect her sister, Nettie, from a similar fate, and while Nettie escapes to a new life as a missionary in Africa, Celie is left behind without her best friend and confidante, married off to an older suitor, and sentenced to a life alone with a harsh and brutal husband.

In an attempt to transcend a life that often seems too much to bear, Celie begins writing letters directly to God. The letters, spanning twenty years, record a journey of self-discovery and empowerment guided by the light of a few strong women. She meets Shug Avery, her husband’s mistress and a jazz singer with a zest for life, and her stepson’s wife, Sophia, who challenges her to fight for independence. And though the many letters from Celie’s sister are hidden by her husband, Nettie’s unwavering support will prove to be the most breathtaking of all.

The Color Purple has sold more than five million copies, inspired an Academy Award–nominated film starring Oprah Winfrey and directed by Steven Spielberg, and been adapted into a Tony-nominated Broadway musical. Lauded as a literary masterpiece, this is the groundbreaking novel that placed Walker “in the company of Faulkner” (The Nation), and remains a wrenching—yet intensely uplifting—experience for new generations of readers.

This ebook features a new introduction written by the author on the twenty-fifth anniversary of publication, and an illustrated biography of Alice Walker including rare photos from the author’s personal collection.

The Color Purpleis the first book in The Color Purple Collection, which also includes The Temple of My Familiar andPossessing the Secret of Joy.